By JLerebours@aol.com
Summary: Lex Luthor fakes his death, escapes from prison, and then kidnaps Lois right before her wedding to Clark. Can Superman save her? Will they make it to the church on time?
This is my first and so far my only attempt at writing fanfiction (so please be kind <g>) Any comments or feedback will be appreciated. Before I begin I would like to thank Evelyn for her suggestions and her editorial help. (Thanks Evelyn!) My story takes place on the eve of Lois and Clark's wedding, Lex Luther has broken out of prison and is seeking revenge on the three people whom he blames for his incarceration, Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Superman.
***
Introduction: Will Lois Lane and Clark Kent make it to the church on time or will they fall prey to Lex Luthor's fiendish plans?
Miles away in the Metropolis Maximum Security Prison, Lex Luthor sat in his dark jail cell, looking at Lois Lane's picture with a penlight.
"I can't believe you betrayed me, Lois. I can't believe you humiliated me in front of everyone." Lex glared at the picture. "Now, the final betrayal: you are marrying Clark Kent, the man who practically put me in this place. Him and that flying red and blue peacock!" As he crumbled the picture, he muttered these words, "I'm going to make you pay for your betrayal, Lois… you, Kent and Superman. You will all pay for what you've done to me!"
Later that same night, a bomb exploded at the Metropolis prison. In the chaos which ensued, Lex Luthor escaped. A body, wearing his prison numbers and of similar build and height, was found in the rubble, falsely leading prison officials to believe that Luthor had died in the explosion.
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of what was taking place in Metropolis, Clark Kent had flown Lois Lane to Paris to have dinner. The happy couple ate at a beautiful little French restaurant near the river bank and then flew to the Ile de la Cite to visit the Notre Dame de Paris. They held hands as they strolled through the street.
"Oh, Clark," Lois beamed, "I can't remember ever being this happy."
Clark looked deeply into Lois' eyes. "Me, either…I," his voice, filled with emotion, broke for a moment. "I never thought that I would ever find someone like you to share my life with."
He pulled her forward into his arms. Then his mouth was on hers, greedy and demanding, convincing her lips to open and accept the shape of his, accept the inward thrust of his tongue. His lips were warm, demanding and achingly hungry.
"I guess we should be getting back," he spoke as they reluctantly broke off the kiss. He picked her up, and the lovers flew off to return to Metropolis.
The next morning, Clark was up early, preparing breakfast for Lois and himself. Once the coffee, Belgian waffles and sausages were prepared, Clark left the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand for her. He had learned early on in their relationship that Lois was like a zombie without her morning coffee. He walked toward the bedroom where he knew she would still be fast asleep, despite the fact that the alarm clock had been ringing for the past five minutes. Clark stepped inside the bedroom and, sure enough, she lay sprawled on her stomach with her head buried under the pillows. Clark sat on the bed near Lois' head and gently shook her shoulder.
"Come on, sleepy head," he said softly. When he didn't get any response, he pulled the pillow off of her head and waved the coffee mug beneath her nose, back and forth, until Lois started stirring.
"Mmmm," she murmured groggily. "Go away. It's not time to get up yet," she complained, as she pulled the pillow back on her head.
"Hey, sleeping beauty," Clark teased, as he once again pulled the pillow off her head. "It's time to get up. We have a long day ahead of us."
Lois finally opened her eyes and took the mug he held out. She stifled a yawn as she took a sip of the coffee.
"Ah," she sighed as she took the sip and felt the caffeine coursing through her veins. "You make the best coffee in the world," she smiled.
Clark leaned over and gave her a kiss as he pulled her off the bed. "Come on. Breakfast is getting cold."
"You've cooked breakfast for me again?" Lois asked as she got off the bed. "Clark, it was my turn to cook. You know you are spoiling me rotten."
"That's my job: to spoil you," declared Clark, as he pulled her into his arms for a kiss. The couple kissed for a long minute and finally, reluctantly broke the kiss.
"Breakfast," Lois reminded him with a bemused look on her face as she broke off the kiss.
"Yes, breakfast," repeated Clark with an equally confused look on his face. The couple smiled at each other and walked to the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, they sat at the breakfast nook, having breakfast before going off to put the finishing touches on their wedding, which was to take place the following day. During breakfast, the couple was shocked when they opened up the Daily Planet morning edition and found out that Lex Luthor had been killed in an explosion.
"I can't believe he's dead," said a stunned Lois. "Even after all he has done to me…and to you, I've never wished for his death. It's sad how his life ended."
"Yes, it is," agreed Clark. "Does the paper say how it happened?"
"It says here that he died in an explosion…" Lois paused as she read the article. "That prison officials have found and identified the charred remains as Lex… Clark, I know our two-week vacation starts today, but do you think we should stop by the Planet and see if we can find anymore information about last night's explosion?"
"Why?" asked Clark.
"I don't know, but I have a funny feeling that all is not what it seems… That somehow Lex Luthor is still alive," Lois answered with an uneasy look on her face.
"Lois, I think you are searching for a story where one doesn't exist. His body has been identified by prison officials, for Pete's sake," he finished in an exasperated voice.
"Maybe you're right. Lex has been like a dark cloud hovering over me for such a long time that I…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. "I guess I thought that he would never leave me alone to live my life in peace." Lois fumbled for an explanation for her feelings. How could she explain her feelings to Clark, when she herself didn't quite understand it?
Clark stared at Lois for a moment with an insightful look on his face. "I guess I hadn't given it a thought—how much Luthor had really affected you." Clark reached across the table and took hold of her hand. "Honey, Luthor is dead…and even if he were alive, I would never, ever let him hurt you. I would never let anyone hurt you," he finished softly.
"I know, I know," responded Lois, as she gave his hand a squeeze. "I should just put the past behind me and concentrate on what really matters: us." She spoke as she stood up and pulled Clark into her arms, holding him tightly for a long moment, as if trying to erase Luthor's picture from her mind. Lois gave herself a mental shake and declared, "Let's get on with it. We have a wedding to prepare for."
"That's my girl!" Clark encouraged her as he kissed the top of her head.
Throughout the day, the couple went about their business, visiting the minister, stopping by the Metropolis country club where the wedding reception would be held to make sure that everything was in place for the wedding ceremony. After running their numerous errands, the couple drove back home to the condominium they had purchased together.
"I can't believe that Lois Lane is the superstitious type." Clark was teasing her after she told him that they should not see each other on their wedding day before the wedding ceremony.
"It's not that I'm superstitious," she replied defensively as the couple stood in front of their condo. "It's just that, given my parents track record, I figure why tempt fate…" Lois trailed off for a moment, trying to clarify her thoughts. "I need all the luck I can ge…" Clark cut her off by putting his hand over her mouth before she could finish.
"How many times must I tell you we are not going to end up like your parents?" He pulled her into his arms and caressed her back. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" he asked with emotion as he squeezed her gently. "We are not going to end up like your parents because we won't accept anything less than 'happily ever after.' Now give me a smile," Clark coaxed. Then he praised, "That's better!" when Lois gave him a brilliant smile.
"Now, I have to fly over the city and make sure everything is okay before going on off to the hotel, so I won't call you because you'll probably be asleep by then. Besides," he said with a wicked smile on his face, "I know you need your beauty sleep," he finished, teasingly.
"What!?" protested Lois, pretending to be offended and raising her hand as if to hit him.
"Just kidding!" Clark put his hand up as if to ward off a blow, then pulled Lois into his arms and, in an attempt to make amends, added, "You definitely do not need beauty sleep. You're perfect the way you are… Is that better?"
Clark tightened his arms around her and brought his mouth down to hers. She pressed her lips eagerly into his, opening her mouth. He tightened his grip and thrust his tongue into her mouth in slow, erotic circles. They were both breathing hard when the kiss finally ended.
"So I guess this is goodbye until tomorrow," gasped a breathless Clark.
"I love you. See you tomorrow, 1:00 p.m. sharp, and hey!" She pulled on his arm. "Don't keep me waiting," she finished with a small smile.
"I love you, too, and you know nothing could keep me from our wedding," he assured her softly as he stroked her hair.
Lois unlocked the front door to the condominium and stepped into the foyer. She turned the light on and turned to face Clark.
"Until 1 o'clock," she said as she moved to close the door.
"Don't forget to lock the door and turn the alarm on," Clark reminded her.
Lois looked at him and gave him her 'I'm not a child' look.
"I know. I know." He spoke before Lois could say a word. "Sue me for worrying about you," he whispered as he heard the click of the door lock. Clark waited until he heard her activating the alarm before he walked off.
Lois got into bed and went right to sleep. She was asleep for a few hours when she was suddenly awakened by a noise in her bedroom. She looked at the clock and noticed that it was 4:00 in the morning. The room was still dark, but she was able to make out a shape of a man in her bedroom.
"Clark? What are you doing here? You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride on their wedding day." She reached for the lamp switch and had just turned the light on when she heard a voice which chilled her to her very soul.
"Hello, my love. Happy to see me?"
"Lex!" gasped a stunned Lois. "You're supposed to be dead! Wha..what are you doing here?"
"Why, I've come to give the bride away, or should I say take the bride away," replied Lex Luthor. "Now hurry up and get dressed. I have a little wedding present I want to give you."
"You're crazy!" cried Lois.
"No, I'm not crazy. I just want to repay you… you, Kent and Superman for all the pain and suffering you people have put me through," Lex Luthor smiled. "Now, I'll be in the living room waiting for you… Oh and by the way, don't bother trying to call your precious Clark or the police. Both phone lines have been cut and, besides, my friends should have taken care of Kent by now," he informed her with an evil chuckle. "Now hurry up and get dressed. I have a plane to catch after this is all over." And Luthor walked out of her bedroom.
As soon as Luthor left the room, Lois jumped out of bed, grabbed a pair of jeans and shirt from the dresser and hurriedly dressed. She reached for the phone, hoping that Luthor was bluffing. But as soon as she picked up the phone, she knew that Luthor had spoken the truth because she heard no dial tone.
"Maybe I could reason with him or at least stall for time," she mumbled to herself, hoping that the sixth sense that usually warned Clark when she was in danger was going off about now.
Lois went into the living room where Luthor and his two cohorts sat. Lex was giving the two instructions when she came into the room. It was difficult for her to look at him. His appearance hadn't changed much. He was still the same handsome, elegant and charismatic man who had used her to almost destroy the man she loved and who had manipulated her into almost marrying him, the man who had almost caused her to miss out on the happiness she had found with Clark.
"Ah, I see you're ready." Luthor rose and walked toward her. He stopped in front of Lois and stared at her for a few minutes. "You've grown even more beautiful," he remarked as if in some sort of stupor. "I've missed you, my love."
Lex reached to stroke her face. Lois pulled back, letting him see the disgust and hatred in her eyes. His own eyes narrowed and his lips tightened.
Luthor let his hand fall back to his side and he moved away from her, saying under his breath, "I guess I was right about you, after all." His face hardened as if he had come to a decision and he then ordered one of his men to take Lois.
"I'm not going anywhere with you, Lex," said a defiant Lois. "You are mad if you think you can get away with whatever your little mind has come up with. Clark and Superman will come after me!" she finished with a shout.
"Let them try!" Luthor fumed with anger. He turned to his men, "Obviously, she wants to do this the hard way." He then ordered one of his men to give Lois a shot. Within minutes, she lost consciousness. The foursome walked to the waiting car. The car was a specially designed vehicle which was covered in lead to protect the occupants from Superman's x-ray vision. They drove to Gotham City and stopped at a stone mansion in the suburbs. Once inside the mansion, she was taken down to what appeared to be a dungeon and was thrown into a cell.
Lois awoke an hour later to find herself on a bed in a cell. She walked to the bars, trying to find a way out, but there was no way out. By the time she was brought food, she was growing despondent. She lay on the bed in the cell, staring at the ceiling. It took her a while to realize that the man who had brought her the food was alone and that he was unarmed. As he set the food on the table near the bed, Lois leapt from the bed and raced for the cell door which the guard had stupidly left open. She picked up a little folding table which was outside the cell door and turned, slamming it against the guard's head. He promptly lost consciousness. Lois then locked him in the cell.
After a quick glance around to be sure that no one else was in the dungeon, she ran up the stairs to the first floor. She had almost made it to the outside when she was grabbed from behind by one of Luthor's henchmen. Lois was then dragged back to where an angry Luthor stood waiting.
"That was very foolish of you," seethed a furious Lex Luthor as he painfully grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside. "I should just kill you now and save myself any further trouble," he threatened as he walked her back down to the dungeon…
"What? And lose your opportunity to torment Clark and Superman?" she asked in a taunting voice.
But Luthor did not take the bait. He glared at her as he threw her to one his men. Luthor, Lois and the man holding her, continued to walk back down to the dungeon. But instead of going back to the cell from which she had escaped, the trio walked and stopped in front of a glowing, green cage which was suspended in the air. Lois stared in horror as a cage made of kryptonite was lowered to the ground. Luthor stood with a smile on his face and his arms crossed over his chest as his man shoved her into the cage.
Lois let out an anguished, "No!" as she began to realize Luthor's diabolical plans. The cage was then hoisted up and suspended over a pool of hydrochloric acid.
"How are you enjoying your little cell, my sweet? Are you comfy?" he asked with an evil chuckle.
"You depraved monster!" screamed Lois. "I can't believe that I once thought that you were huma…" Luthor cut her off before she could finish.
"No need for flattery, my dear. I know exactly how you feel about me," he said with a laugh. "So, how does it feel to be about to lose everything you care about? Thanks to you, your lover and to your little pal, Superman, I lost everything! Everything! My freedom, my reputation and most of my money. Now it's your turn to lose!" he finished with a shout.
"Lex, please, if you ever cared anything for me, please stop this insane plan," she begged.
"Save your breath, Lois. You'll need it to cry for help as the acid is eating away at your flesh." He gave a mad laugh. "My dear," continued Luthor, "I'm hurt that you didn't ask me how I plan to rid the world of your little friends. I'll overlook the faux pas and tell you anyway. Your fiance will meet his end at the hands of the men I sent after him. And, as for your little friend, Superman, well, he should be on his way here to face his own demise, thanks to the little message I left at your condo," he taunted her.
***
Meanwhile, back at Metropolis, Clark Kent was awakened from his hotel bed by two men brandishing guns.
"Hello, Mr. Kent," greeted one of the men, sarcastically. "Lex Luthor gave us a message to give you. The first part of the message is that you don't have to worry about your wedding date with Lois Lane. Neither one of you will be around for the wedding ceremony!" he smirked… And the second message," he went on, "is that you should make peace with your maker because you are about to meet him now!" After saying that, one of the men ordered Clark out of bed.
Clark tried to stall for time. He fumbled with the zipper of the overnight bag as he painstakingly pulled a pair of jeans and sweat shirt from the bag. He tried to get them to talk, hoping that he could get a clue as to what their plan was, hoping that one of them would let slip where Lois was being held.
"Hurry up, Mr. Kent," said one of the men impatiently, waving the gun in a threatening manner as Clark slowly dressed.
"You won't get away with this," Clark spoke out. "Superman will come…"
One of the men cut him off. "Oh, you think Superman will come and save you? Don't bet on it. There is no way Superman will get here in time to save you." With that, one of them grabbed Clark by the arm and stuck the gun to his side.
"Now, Mr. Kent, we are going down to the hotel lobby and we are going to walk out there like just a couple of old friends going out for a beer. If you make any sudden movements or if you try to call out to your friend, Superman for help, you'll get a bullet in the side."
Clark meekly let himself be led out of the hotel and into the waiting car, hoping that one of the men would let something slip. The men drove to the Metropolis river, where they ordered their prisoner out of the car.
"You won't get away with this," Clark repeated. "Superman will…" One of the thugs cut Clark off again.
"Its too late for you, Mr. Kent. I don't know about you, but I don't see Superman around here, and as for your fiance, if Superman wants to save her, he has to go to Gotham City where Lex has a nice little kryptonite present waiting for him."
With that, they grabbed him, tied his hands, gagged him, tied weights around his ankles and threw his body in the river. Clark waited until he was completely enveloped by the dark water before breaking his bonds and flying out further down river.
***
In the meantime, back in Gotham city, Lois Lane was desperately trying to reason with Luthor, who seemed to have lost all sense of reason. "Lex, please for the love you once felt for me, abandon this plan. You're not yourself. You need psychiatric help!" cried Lois, frantically.
"Love?" snarled Lex. "What do you know of love? I loved you like I never loved any woman and how did you return that love?!" he asked in an anguished voice. "You betrayed and humiliated me!" his voice escalated. "Tell me, Lois, was it love for me that made you call off our wedding?!" he finished in a scream.
Lois just stared at him silently with a stunned and pitying expression on her face as she listened to his tirade.
"No need to answer. I already know the answer to my question," said Lex with a strange gleam to his eyes. "All you ever cared about was your precious Clark Kent! Now you will learn how it feels to lose someone you love. You will lose your lover, Kent, and your superhero ex-boyfriend. Now you must excuse me," and he regained his composure. "I have to go upstairs and check on some minor details," he stated coldly as he left the dungeon.
Once upstairs, Lex's men reported that the lookout had spotted Superman. Just as they were alerting him, Superman crashed through the wall.
"Ah", said Luthor in a conversational voice, "Superman is still making entrances and busting through walls, I see… You know, I really think you should consider using doors, less expensive you know," he concluded with a small smile on his face.
"I didn't come here for conversation or advice, Luthor." Superman was visibly angry. "Just tell me where Lois is… And I want her now," he snarled as he picked Luthor up by his shirt collar.
"Of course, of course, let me lead the way," mocked Luthor. "No need to get physical," he grinned as he rearranged his clothing, which were disturbed when Superman picked him up. Superman held Lex by the arm as they walked down the stairs to the dungeon.
"Here she is, all gift-wrapped for you…all gift wrapped in a package of kryptonite, that is." Luthor taunted him with an evil laugh.
Superman stood in shocked horror as he saw Lois suspended over a pool of acid in a cage covered in kryptonite. "Get her out of the cage," ordered Superman as he applied painful pressure to Lex's arm.
"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Luthor winced with pain from Superman's grip. "The moment we stepped into the dungeon, a hidden mechanism went off, and the cell has five minutes before it's plunged into the pool of hydrochloric acid, where the flesh of your ex-girlfriend will slowly be eaten away. You can, of course, try to break her out, but at a deadly cost to yourself." Lex relished his victory.
"Superman, don't come any closer!" cried Lois. "Save yourself!"
Superman, keeping his distance from the cage, but still feeling weak from the exposure to the kryptonite, looked at the cage and the area where the pool of acid was. He quickly assessed the weaknesses. Suddenly, without any warning, Superman flew out of the dungeon.
Lois stood stunned as she watched Clark flying out of the room. She had, of course, meant it when she had told him to save his life. After all, mankind needed the kind of help he could provide. But to actually have him leave her facing impending death was hard to swallow.
Meanwhile, outside the mansion, Superman stood with a hand braced against the stone structure, fighting off dizziness. He struggled for control, knowing that Lois' life hung in the balance. He used his x-ray vision to check the ground, trying to find a way which would lead him to the pool of acid. Once he found what he was looking for, Superman used his body as a drill. Working quickly, he drilled a hole in the ground. Once underground, he created a tunnel which led him to the source of the acid. Using his super breath, he froze and neutralized the acid.
At the same time as this was taking place, Luthor was taunting Lois as the cage descended into the acid.
"I guess your hero decided to save himself," he gloated with maniacal laughter as the cage descended further and further toward the acid. "Who can blame him? After all, you did the same thing to him as you did to me. Poor, poor Lois, " he said in a sing-song voice, "stuck in a cage, boyfriend dead and superhero gone. Ha, ha, ha, ha…" laughed Luthor. "And now you have no one to save you." Clutching his side, he continued to laugh.
Suddenly, without any warning, the floor started to shake.
"What's going on?!" screamed Lex Luthor as he fought to hold his balance.
"Yes!" cheered Lois under her breath. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Clark."
Superman crashed through the floor. Although feeling weak because of the close proximity of the kryptonite, Superman was able to burn a hole through the cage, enabling Lois to get out.
"No!" cried Luthor. "My plans, all my beautiful plans, not again!" he yelled in a tormented voice.
After subduing Lex and his henchmen, the couple realized that they had only an hour before the commencement of their wedding. Lois called the police and told them that Lex Luthor was alive and well and that he would be delivered to the prison by Superman.
Given the shortage of time, Superman strapped a parachute on Luthor's back and stated, "Sorry, Lex, I have a wedding to attend," as he dropped him over the Metropolis Maximum Security Prison where two guards awaited Lex Luthor's arrival.
Lois and Clark made it to the church with fifteen minutes to spare.
"If my marriage ends in divorce because you saw me in my wedding gown before the wedding ceremony, I swear I'll hunt Luthor down and kill him," chanted an irate Lois as the couple ran up the church stairs in their wedding finery.
Clark stopped her ranting with a finger to her lips and reminded her, "Remember what I said before…'happily ever after.'" The couple kissed on the steps of the church and entered the church lobby, where a worried wedding party and various family members stood waiting for the bride and groom.
"Great shades of Elvis!" exclaimed Perry White. "Nothing you kids do is ever simple. Leave it to you to be abducted by a lunatic on your wedding day. By the way, I hope you kids remember to fax me the story after the wedding."
"Perry White! You… It's their wedding day," chastised Alice White.
"Sorry, dumpling," apologized Perry with a sheepish look.
A teary Martha Kent kissed Clark on the cheek and said, "I can't believe my boy is getting married." Her voice was full of emotion.
Jonathan Kent, who was also fighting back tears, gently pulled on her arm and urged her forward, "Come on, Martha, let's take our places so that the wedding can begin."
"See you in a few minutes," Clark whispered to Lois as Jimmy Olsen, the best man, started pulling him toward the front of the packed church. It seemed that everyone in Metropolis and Smallville had shown up for their wedding.
Lois stood patiently as her crying mother adjusted her veil and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, baby. Be happy," sobbed Ellen Lane, as one of the groomsmen took her arm to lead her to her seat.
"Here's your bouquet," offered Lucy Lane, who was her maid of honor.
Once everyone was in place, the minister gave the signal, and the music started. Clark turned and faced the congregation. He watched as the various bridesmaids made their way down the aisle. Next was the maid of honor's turn. Clark tensed up with anticipation, knowing that Lois would be next.
The wedding march began, the big doors at the back of the church were swung open, and Clark Kent and the audience stood and turned to look at the bride. Lois looked lovely in her ivory- colored wedding dress with its Juliet sleeves and V neckline, trimmed with seed pearls. She wore a long ivory veil of illusion lace, held in place with a dainty, seed-pearled crown of flowers.
As Lois Lane walked down the aisle on Sam Lane's arm, she stared straight ahead into Clark's eyes, toward her future. When she and her father neared the altar, Clark stepped forward to meet them.
"My bride," he murmured to himself. His heart filled and he had to fight to keep the tears from coming. Who would have thought, when he first came to Metropolis three years ago, nothing more than a nomad, not feeling that he had anywhere he truly belonged, that he would today be marrying his other half. He couldn't image a life without this woman by his side.
Lois Lane stood beside Clark Kent, thinking of how her life was before she met Clark. She had been cynical and jaded when she had met Clark and she had built a wall around her heart to protect herself. But Clark had chipped away at the wall, bit by bit, until he had completely filled her heart.
The couple moved as one to the altar and bowed their heads. The congregation sat transfixed as they recited the vows that they had written together.
Finally, it was over, and the minister announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kent." The couple happily faced the audience as husband and wife.
The adventure had begun.
THE END
(llstrike.txt)